How to Remove Wallpaper
Quick home fix-ups: Strip off old wallpaper in 4 steps
Set aside a day to strip wallpaper from a small room. After spreading out a drop cloth to protect the floor, run a scoring tool in a circular motion over the wall to create small holes in the wallpaper. Click photos below for a closer look at steps 2 and
Many times, wallpaper is applied over old wallpaper, so stripping down to the bare wall takes patience. The key is in dissolving the glue with moisture. You can rent steamers for this. But I’ve found this technique works just as well.
Step 1: Spread out the drop cloth to protect the floor. Run the scoring tool in a circular motion over the wall to create small holes in the wallpaper.
Photo from Joanne Liebeler’s Do It Herself (Sunset Books)
Put on your safety glasses and rubber gloves. Pour some of the stripper into the plastic stripper will seep through the holes and dissolve the glue. Leave it alone for the amount of time indicated on the stripper label.
Step 2: Put on your safety glasses and rubber gloves. Pour some of the stripper into the plastic paint tray and use the roller to “paint” the stripper onto the wall. Really saturate it. The stripper will seep through the holes and dissolve the glue. Leave it alone for the amount of time indicated on the stripper label.
Photo from Joanne Liebeler’s Do It Herself (Sunset Books)
Use the wallpaper scraper or drywall knife to peel away the paper and throw it away. Be careful not to damage the drywall as you scrape. If there’s more than one layer of wallpaper, you might have to remove them one at a time. Use a wet sponge to completely clean off any remaining glue.
Step 3. Use the wallpaper scraper or drywall knife to peel away the paper and throw it away. Be careful not to damage the drywall as you scrape. If there’s more than one layer of wallpaper, you might have to remove them one at a time.
Step 4. Use a wet sponge to completely clean off any remaining glue.
